For women, spots, freckles, and dark undereye circles are significant cosmetic concerns, as are as wrinkles and sagging. Skin color is determined depending on four types of pigments (melanin, oxygenated hemoglobin, reduced hemoglobin, and carotene) and light-scattering phenomena. Particularly, in the case of melanin, signal transduction pathway for melanin production in an epidermal pigment cell (melanocyte) is activated as a result of abnormal hormone secretion, ultraviolet stimulation, inflammatory stimulation, or the like, resulting in production of tyrosinase that is a main enzyme that produces melanin and excessive expression of tyrosinase activity. Accordingly, excessive melanin pigmentation results in creation of spots and freckles. As a means for preventing such spots and freckles, a substance that inhibits the activity of tyrosinase, which is a conventional melanin-producing main enzyme, is used. Hitherto, many types of melanin-production inhibitors such as vitamin C derivatives, placenta extract, arbutin, kojic acid, ellagic acid, tannic acid, glycyrrhiza extract, and placenta extract have been developed [Maeda, K: FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, 1997, September issue: 10-18] (Non-Patent Document 1). In addition, a whitening item that contains cranberry-derived caffeic acid glycoside has peen reported in JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-201846 A 1993 (Patent Document 1). However, under the present circumstances, sufficient effects have not been obtained therefrom.
Meanwhile, in recent years, the use of kojic acid and the like in food has been banned because of a problem in terms of edibility of such substance when it is contained in food. Only limited substances such as vitamin C have been used in practice. In addition, effects obtained from such substances have still been insufficient.
In addition, poor facial blood flow is one cause of dark undereye circles. It has been known that blue or black undereye circles appear due to increase in the amount of reduced hemoglobin. Also, poor facial blood flow is one cause of spots and freckles. However, no substance that has a blood flow ameliorating effect as a mechanism of action or a function of improving spots and freckles has yet been found.
Similarly, it has been known that dullness is created by the following two factors: blackening of the face due to increase in the amount of reduced hemoglobin resulting from poor facial blood flow; and production of black melanin in relation to tyrosinase activity.
Under such circumstances, a desired composition is required to have an inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity and an ameliorating effect on facial blood flow, which are expressed at important sites of action in the treatment of spots, freckles, dark undereye circles, and dullness, and to be sufficient in view of safety, taste, food texture, and cost.
[Patent Document 1] JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-201846 A 1993
[Non-Patent Document 1] Maeda, K: FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, 1997, September issue: 10-18